Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch has released its final numbers for the 2026 nesting season, and the total comes in at 460 nests. The organization is calling it an average year, which is welcome news for a stretch of coastline that has seen plenty of ups and downs. But the nest count only tells part of the story.
Hatchling production was lower than expected this season, and Turtle Watch points to a few familiar pressures: beach erosion, water intrusion into nests, and growing coyote predation. On top of that, disorientations from artificial lighting remain very high, meaning adults and hatchlings are turning landward instead of toward the Gulf, expending energy they need to survive. The odds are already steep, since a hatchling that reaches the water has only about a 1 in 1,000 chance of living to adulthood.
Turtle Watch will spend the coming months verifying and reviewing this data before it goes to county and state officials. If you’d like to support the effort, two dates are coming up fast: Bayfest on October 17 and the Suzi Fox Turtle Watch fundraiser on October 21. Have you made any changes at home to keep your outdoor lighting turtle-friendly? Let us know in the comments.
